After four years of being split, the main opposition CPN-UML and its break away faction called CPN-ML seem to be heading closer for unity. Both parties have underlined the need for broader left unity in general and between CPN-ML and CPN-ML in particular.
The main opposition CPN-UML in its central committee and standing committee meetings last week decided to go ahead with unity with other small communist parties. It wrote to other left parties except the underground CPN-Maoist to create broader left unity. ” As a largest communist party our responsibility is to bring all left parties together”, said Madhav Kumar Nepal, general secretary of
CPN-UML. According to him, now it depends on the response of other parties. There are more than a dozen communist parties in Nepal. Another major left party, CPN-ML, has also decided to discuss with CPN-UML unity.
Bam Dev Gautam, general secretary of CPN-ML, said that we are positive towards left unity and have already written back to CPN-UML explaining our decision and position. The move for unity among the communist parties that believe in parliamentary political system was because of the growing influence of Nepal Communist Party ( Maoist).
The Maoist party so far does not believe in multi-party democracy and seeks for overthrowing monarchy and multi-party democracy. It has been launching an armed insurgency for the last six years which has already killed more than 1800 people. Maoist party says the people’s democracy can only be established through armed revolution and condemns the parliamentary communist groups. The unity between CPN-UML and CPN-ML is possible in the near future. It is not possible with other left parties in the immediate future, says a leftist scholar.